bramblebrae

Hi there very interesting discussion. My son almost 6yo with ASD has recurring diaorrhea it has been a few months now but every month or 2 it pops up again for about a week then goes he's missed so much school because of it but they've agreed now its not a stomach bug he can pass on so he can go to school anyway his diet is pitiful so it may just be that. the main thing I wanted to speak abou tthough was his skin he has very easily marked skin and the slightest knock results in a very large but very short lived bump eg he banged his head 2 mins later huge lump appeared very red too about 30mins later flat again though still slight redness also if playing rugh and tumble etc with him then look at skin after it is very bright pink you can see hand print marks clearly on areas that havent been held much other areas are just pink all over this too fades very quickly. Recently however he got infected with molluscum a contagious skin infection which is harmless but apperently alot of kids get it especially from swimming it come up in little spots on trunk and arms and the internet says it can last upto 2-3 years he had a little skin tag next to one of these spots and together they became infected so I took him to doc who gave some cream he said the other spots can be squeezed gently in bath so core white bit comes out and it might help them clear quiker cause at this point he'd had them over 6 mths and my niece who had them had cleared up within this time, anyway the point is every single one of the spots has become infected at one time or another some turning really nasty looking and from everthing I read it just shouldn't happen, has anyones kids had molluscum if so was there an usual reaction at all. It just feels like there is something 'different' about his skin somehow but I've insisted on blood tests in the past which have showed up nothing for stuff like anemia because of his poor appetite etc and I don't want to ask for more tests and put him through needles again etc for no good reason. Lorraine

My sons ankles were slightly turned in at birth but they said not to worry, then between 1-2yold his ankles used to get stuck in position say when in car for 10min journey when stopped and getting him out he couldn't unlock his ankle it would wear off eventually though seen doctor 3 times then referral to hospital consultant when we insisted. he said he was a bit pigeon toed but nothing to worry about I told him he walked on his toes alot but he said all kids that age do (think he was about 3 by this time) then well nursery noticed behaviours I hadn't etc and we were sent for an assessment for autism at 3.5yo where he saw alot of different specialties and the physiotherapist said his feet were markedly flat and referred us to orthotics dept who, oops somewhere in the middle of this happening he had hurt his knee and had complained on several occasions of knee pain kinda unusual he doesn't let pain bother him v.much at all, anyway due to toe walking, very flat feet and knee pain he wears ankle foot orthoses, AFO's, or commonly called splints I thought we'd get little shoe inserts so it was kinda shocking at first, when I asked she told me people don't get an adult walking gait until about 14 yrs old maybe longer and he would have to wear them as much as possible every day until at least that age and would most probably always need shoe inserts of some kind. the last fitting we had she made little half size cup inserts he could wear if he became very reluctant to wear the full splints ie embarrsed at gym etc but to wear full splints as much as possible as the cups don't stop the toe walking he likes to show me that he can actually get on to his toes in the splints only as they get to small for him, hes a cheeky one that way, sometimes I think the toe walking has stopped but then I notice if not wearing splints he's back up on them again especially when agitated or excited. He was finally diagnosed as having an autistic spectrum disorder at 4.5yo. He choses the splints nearly every time I give him the choice between them or cups he has to sit on a chair as kneeling isn't very easy which makes him stand out a bit at assemblies, he usually leaves in the middle of those anyway, circle time etc we are currently getting no where fast with learning to ride a bike I've tried with splints cups and just shoes but wether its co ordination or leg weakness he just can't get it to go on anything other than completely flat smooth ground and whilst trying so hard to turn pedals he forgets to steer he's almost 6 now just finishing primary one which has been a roller coaster year to say the least. It's hard watching the younger kids round here zoom around the streets on their bikes wiithout stabilisers or anything but I'm sure we'll get there oops there i go again rambling on sorry my advice ask to see someone in orthotics or physiotherapy don't let them shue you away I feel I did don't know if it woulda made a difference but u never do know is the problem, doctors are only human esp GP's they can make very grave errors indeed Lorraine